Minimalism and Walking with God

May 4, 2017

The trend toward minimalism – simplifying your life, paring down possessions, limiting yourself to what you really need – isn’t a Christian phenomenon. But it could well be. The idea fits very nicely with the teachings of Jesus and with the message of the Bible.

Jesus said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

And, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

And, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

John said, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world.”

Paul said, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…”

Solomon said, “Better is a handful of quietness than two handfuls of toil and striving after wind.”

And, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”

It is not merely human enlightenment. It is the wisdom of God that simpler is better. Less is more. The things that can’t be counted or touched are the treasures of life.